Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch reacts after he is shown a red card by referee Chris Kavanagh
Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch reacts after he is shown a red card by referee Chris Kavanagh
All eyes were on Anfield for Manchester City's first game since the club's guilty verdict was made public. Liverpool hosted Enzo Maresca's side but were thumped 3-0 in front of their own fans.
Armed with inflatable bananas, the away City support delighted as goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki gave the travelling team a comfortable win. Truthfully, though, the game swung on Ryan Gravenberch's red card in the 62nd minute.
Up to that point, things were fairly even, and the Dutch midfielder was arguably the best player on the pitch. When he picked up a second yellow card, however, the match was as good as over, with Man City taking the lead just three minutes later.
There were some who felt as though his two bookings were soft. Offering his verdict on the matter for Football Insider, ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has now spoken.
Keith Hackett Suggests Ryan Gravenberch Unlucky To Be Sent Off
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk remonstrates with referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch is shown a red card
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk remonstrates with referee Chris Kavanagh after Ryan Gravenberch is shown a red card
Hackett, who used to be a Premier League and FIFA referee, has stated that referee Chris Kavanagh was wrong to dish out the first yellow, claiming:
"The referee did not have the ideal viewing angle and wrongly issued Ryan Gravenberch with a yellow card. Frankly, I did not see this as a foul, as the Man City player was off balance and going to ground."
He then suggested that Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola should have perhaps taken off Gravenberch to avoid the risk of a second yellow card: "In a game such as this, the manager has a decision to make. He should ask himself: Should I substitute this player after he has received that yellow card to avoid the risk of a second yellow followed by a red card? A pity, given the context of this game."
Hackett then insisted that the second foul was enough to deserve a sending off, but did wonder if Kavanagh should have shown more leniency, noting:
"It was a yellow card in law. However, in a high-profile game with a great deal of tension, the referee should have raised the threshold for yellow cards higher to keep the card count down."
Liverpool fans were so outraged by Kavanagh's display, some have even started up a petition to have him removed from refereeing their games in the future.
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is shown a yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is shown a yellow card by referee Chris Kavanagh
Graham Barber Believes Chris Kavanagh Got it Right at Anfield
Referee Chris Kavanagh
Referee Chris Kavanagh
Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, though, Graham Barber – another former Premier League referee – believes Kavanagh got it right with his call to send Gravenberch off. Although like Hackett, he did acknowledge that the first was a little soft, noting:
"It unquestionably changed the game, so obviously it will be a big talking point.
"When you're refereeing, when you're giving two yellow cards, I would say nine times out of ten, if you look at the first one, it's the cheapest.
"And, you know, everyone will say that if you're on a yellow card, you need to be very careful, whether you think it's a soft card or not a soft card, you need to be careful. You are asking the referee to make a decision, and in this case, he made a decision that it warranted a second yellow card.
"I always said to young referees, I always said to referees who were coming up through the ranks or getting involved in games, make sure your first yellow card is a worthy yellow card.
"And the result is what actually happens in this particular instance, nobody's going to say it's not a sending off, they're going to say it's soft, and it's soft because of the first decision.
Liverpool will take on Brentford next in the Premier League, while Man City host Ipswich Town.
Liverpool Premier League Fixtures
Liverpool Premier League Fixtures